Our network includes four hospitals, six outpatient centers, two cancer centers and 700 physicians at more than 160 affiliated locations stretching from Alleghany Highlands and Rockbridge County to the Roanoke and New River Valleys.

Finding the right doctor is an important first step in managing your health and planning for your future. At LewisGale, you can choose from among the most experienced and highly trained physicians in their fields. We can help you make the best choice.

Salt Bush

Uses

Principal Proposed Uses

Salt bush is a shrub that grows throughout the Mediterranean region, in the Middle East, northern Africa, and southern Europe. As its name suggests, it is especially common in areas where the soil is saline. Salt bush is a nutritious plant, high in protein, vitamins
C
,
A
, and
D
, and minerals such as
chromium
. It is also fairly tasty—shepherds as well as their flocks enjoy eating salt bush.

What Is Salt Bush Used for Today?

Salt bush may prove useful in the treatment of type 2 (non-insulin-dependent or adult onset)
diabetes
. This idea came to the attention of medical researchers in 1964, when they discovered that a rodent called the sand rat (
Psammomys obesus
) is highly susceptible to developing diabetes.
1
Yet wild sand rats, which regularly consume salt bush, never show any signs of diabetes—they tend to develop it in response to being fed regular laboratory food! As a result, scientists have explored the possibility that salt bush has an antidiabetic effect.

Some animal researchers speculate that the effect of salt bush (if, indeed, it has one) may be partly due to the chromium it contains.
7
Considerable evidence indicates that
chromium
supplementation can improve blood sugar control, especially in type 2 diabetes. However, there could be other active ingredients in salt bush as well.

Dosage

No standard dosage of salt bush has been established.

Warning
: Diabetes is a serious disease that should be treated only under medical supervision. Salt bush cannot be used as a substitute for insulin. Blood sugar levels should also be closely monitored. For more information, see Safety Issues.

Safety Issues

As a plant food commonly consumed by animals and humans, salt bush appears to be relatively safe. However, no comprehensive safety testing of salt bush has been performed. For this reason, it should not be used by young children, pregnant or nursing women, or people with severe liver or kidney disease.

Keep in mind that if salt bush is effective, the result might be excessive lowering of blood sugar levels. For this reason, people with diabetes who take salt bush should do so only under a physician's supervision.
8,9

Revision Information

This content is reviewed regularly and is updated when new and relevant evidence is made available. This information is neither intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider prior to starting any new treatment or with questions regarding a medical condition.